IND vs AUS, 1st ODI: Australia beat India by 7 wickets to win first match of series

Mitch Marsh guided Australia to a comfortable win, supported by a solid knock from Josh Philippe and a finishing cameo from Matt Renshaw. Starc and Hazlewood’s early burst set the tone, while Matt Kuhnemann kept India in check after rain reduced the match to 26 overs per side.

For India, Rahul and Axar offered resistance, and debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy added a neat cameo. However, failures from Rohit, Kohli and the top order leave concerns ahead of the next ODIs in Adelaide and Sydney.

Washington Sundar comes into the attack and it’s a rough start! A delivery spinning sharply down leg beats both the batter and the keeper, racing away for five wides. But he redeems himself almost immediately — OUT! Philippe tries to pull a shorter one but mistimes it straight to deep square leg. Washington gets his man! Matt Renshaw now walks in to join the chase.

Pressure is only mounting on the Indian unit. Philipee is grabbing boundaries and taking on the bowlers on the front foot. AUS need 48 runs off 72 balls.

With the required rate of 4.56 and current run rate of 5.71, Australia need 69 runs off 90 balls for a winning start of the ODI series. Can India make a comeback from here? Looks like a long shot to be honest but let’s wait and watch.

Delhi Capitals have something to say about Nitish Kumar Reddy’s last over sixers.

Axar Patel comes in to bowl. On the fourth ball, he removes Matthew Short. A wicket finally for India. No runs have come from this over so far. A single comes off the last ball. Overall a successful spell from Patel. AUS 45/2 (8)

Harshit Rana comes in for his over. Third six of the innings comes off Marsh’s bat. So far, Aussies are in full control of the game. Marsh and Short on the crease and at least one six has come off per over since last three overs. AUS 38/1 (6)

This over from Arshdeep sees more runs as Marsh and Short get six and boundary respectively. Total 12 runs come from it. Require rate is now 4.90. AUS 23/1 (4)

Siraj has picked up on the momentum created by Arshdeep. He bowled a maiden over. But the required rate has hardly any impact. Australia is still in a good position. India need wickets at this point.

Arshdeep Singh has a response for Head – he dismisses him on the second bowl of his over. Head tried to chip it away and got caught by Harshit Rana. The crowd erupts! AUS 11/1 (2)

Marsh and Head face Siraj as Australia is chasing a rather small target with 131 needed to win. Travis Head making sure he is putting out the message of dominance loud and clear with two boundaries in the first over. AUS 9/0 (1)

Nitish Reddy made a good cameo. In the last over, he hit two big sixes. Little too late but good watch for a while. There were multiple rain interruptions after Hazlewood and Starc gave Australia a flying start. Rohit and Kohli fell early, while Gill and Shreyas were both caught down the leg side, leaving India in trouble. However, Rahul and Axar steadied the innings, rebuilding with patience before Reddy provided a late flourish. Kuhnemann bowled a disciplined spell, keeping things tight and claiming two key wickets — the only boundaries he conceded were a pair of sixes in the final over. Australia’s DLS-adjusted target set at 131.

Debutant Mitch Owen takes his first ODI wicket and the big fish KL Rahul departs. Interestingly, debutant Renshaw took Rahul’s catch. Owen could have got another but Renshaw dropped Rana. However, it doesn’t last long. Owen dismisses Rana on the next ball. His second. Poor show by the Indian batting lineup. Arshdeep comes in to play. IND 123/8 (25)

Kuhnemann dismissed Washington on the third delivery. Nitish Reddy walks in for his ODI debut. He doesn’t have many overs to showcase his game unfortunately. India struggle to reach decent score. IND 120/6 (24)

Ellis starts this over and India at this point needs to shake the scoreboard to reach a decent target. Sundar gets a boundary on the second last ball. Ellis ends with a good bowl. IND 114/5 (23)

We finally get to see two biggies – back to back sixes from KL. Short feels the heat. We are officially in the T20 format now. 4 more overs to go from here. IND 107/5 (22)

Axar Patel falls while trying to attack Kuhnemann. Facing a full delivery outside off, Axar attempts an ambitious shot but fails to get the elevation, sending the ball straight to long-on where Renshaw takes a safe catch.

KL Rahul pulls a short delivery outside off, timing it perfectly to hammer it through midwicket for four runs.

Groundstaff have prepped the pitch efficiently, and KL Rahul is fully geared up. Action is expected to restart shortly. Stay tuned!

With the rain easing, the big cover over the square is being removed and umbrellas are being closed. Play is expected to resume shortly.

It’s been a frustrating day in Perth, where rain has interrupted what was expected to be a dry, sunlit contest. Cricket fans have seen their much-anticipated match repeatedly delayed. Organisers hope there’s still time for a 20-over contest to produce a result; otherwise, attention may shift to the remainder of the series.

Boos echo around the stadium as play is halted again due to rain. Covers are placed back over the pitch, and the mood has fans jokingly recalling the GTA “Here we go again” meme, reflecting the ongoing interruptions.

The players begin to jog back onto the field as play prepares to resume yet again. KL Rahul, fully padded up, is shadow batting near the boundary, while Hazlewood takes a moment to sign autographs. For the fourth time today, the teams stride out, hoping the rain stays away this time.

Down the leg side – and gone! Shreyas Iyer glances it faintly, and the keeper makes no mistake. Another setback for India.

A perfect restart for India! Hazlewood offers a hint of width outside off, and Shreyas Iyer pounces, cracking a square cut through backward point for a boundary.

Good news from Perth – play is set to restart shortly. The match has now been reduced to 35 overs per side following the rain delays.

A wave of cheers echoes around the stadium as the covers are being removed once again. The umpires are in conversation with the groundstaff, raising hopes of play resuming soon.

Reflecting on the 11-odd overs we did witness, Australia’s pace attack delivered a masterclass in control and consistency. It wasn’t fiery or extravagant, but fast, accurate, and relentlessly probing. Mitchell Starc refrained from his usual full, wicket-hunting lengths, instead pulling it back just enough to extract movement off the pitch – a tactic that earned him Kohli’s wicket. As for Josh Hazlewood, the conditions were tailor-made for his precision and bounce, making him nearly unplayable in the early exchanges.

The umpires are coming out, but umbrellas are up as rain continues to affect play. Some positive news as only the main pitch cover remains in place. The rain has paused, though Perth stays cloudy. Umpires are in discussion, with a restart expected shortly.

The first ODI between India and Australia at Perth has been stopped for the second time due to rain, with the match reduced to 49 overs per side. India suffered a catastrophic start, losing captain Shubman Gill and veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli within the first 10 overs.

At 37/3 after 11.5 overs, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel are at the crease. Rohit was caught in the slips for 8, while Kohli fell for a duck, his first in Australian ODIs. Gill followed soon after, dismissed for 10. Earlier, Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh won the toss and chose to field in the opening match of the three-game series.

Live scorecard: India 37/3 (11.5 overs) – Iyer & Patel at the crease.